Ghana Shuts Down Tehran Embassy, Evacuates Citizens Amid Escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

By Timilehin Ajibade

The Ghanaian government has ordered the immediate closure of its Embassy in Tehran and evacuation of her citizens.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa via a Facebook statement revealed that the John Mahama administration made the swift decision out of the abundance of caution to prioritise the safety and security of Ghanaian nationals.

“The Mahama administration has, in the interest of the protection of Ghanaian lives, decided to immediately evacuate Ghanaians living in Iran following an escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict,” Ablakwa posted.”

“To guarantee the safety of our Embassy staff, Ghana’s embassy in Tehran has been closed with immediate effect.”

The evacuation through land borders covers all Ghanaian diplomats, students, professionals, and other compatriots, it added.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s embassy operations in Tel Aviv have been reduced to the “barest minimum,” while the government assures that no effort will be spared in protecting Ghanaian lives and keeping their nationals out of harm.

In a separate statement, the Ghanaian government expressed concern over the developments in the Middle East following the military strikes undertaken by Israel on Iranian territory last week.

“Ghana calls upon the parties to exercise maximum restraint and accept the channels of diplomatic facilitation to de-escalate the situation. Ghana further calls upon the parties to reaffirm their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law,” said the statement.